January at General Fiction at B&N.com

To contact us Click HERE



I know, you haven’t even stopped singing Jingle Bells andI’m talking about January 
The month long featured read is a sentimental, hard to readWWII story about a Japanese American Man and a Caucasian American Woman andwhat happens to them and during the war. It’s a love story, but it’s a darkone, it’s a true look at what really went on across our land, when theresidents were guided by fear and by prejudice, it shows some real heroes andreal villains too. Bridge of ScarletLeaves is an amazing novel and I know you will all enjoy not only the readbut the author’s participation. Here’s my reviewand a Q&A with Kristina who we first met in February 2012 when the novelcame out. Check out Kristina’s websiteto learn more about her and her love of history.


Our second feature is our brand new Nook feature, I’m stilltweaking the details so for January we’re going to start with a Free FridayNook selection, check through the Free Friday selections and pick out one you’dlike to read then nominate it on the thread dedicated to it here.To find the selections click here for the NookBlog
I have some amazing New Release features planned in January
For you Downton Abbey fans I have a Q&A with the authorof the two companion books
the first one titled The World of Downton Abbey and thislatest just released in late November called Chronicles of Downton Abbey, JessicaFellowes. Jessica is also the niece of the creator of Downton Abbey JulianFellows. Watch for it the first week in January.

1-1-13 Also thefirst week of January I’ll have a New Release Feature for The Death Of Bees by Lisa O’Donnell.This novel was also chosen by B&N for the Discover New Author series as apart of B&N reviews so look for that sometime in the winter. So I’m honoredthat she agreed to a Q&A with little old me.

1-8-13 The secondweek of the new year I’ll be featuring a talented relatively new author (thisis her second book) MariPassananti and her newest release TheK Street Affair. Mari is an interesting guest and I’ll give you one hintinto her background, she’s a first generation American.

1-15-13 My NewRelease feature will by TheThief of Auschwitz by Jon Clinch.Jon’s first novel Finnis a dark look into the father of Huckleberry Finn, it made a lot of wave’s inthe literary field so I’m looking forward to reading this novel and who knowsit may end up being featured somewhere else on the forum this year too.

I’m  stillworking on the last two weeks of the month but be sure and stop by the forumoften to see what’s going on and while you’re there chat a bit and let us knowwhat’s going on in your reading life.




I hope everyone has a Happy New Year!!!!!

Review of A Christmas Hope by Joseph Pittman

To contact us Click HERE
A Christmas Hope
Joseph Pittman
Kensington
ISBN13: 9780758276957
336 pages
Nora Conners left Linden Corners NY years ago with stars inher eyes and dreams on her horizons. Now with the stars faded and the dreamsthat didn’t come true, she’s come home with her son in tow. Not for a visit,she’s staying and the former attorney’s gone into the antique business andshe’s got her first customer and a big job to do for him.
Thomas Van Diver’s come home to Linden Corners too, he’s been gone for all butfive of his 84 years. But he’s back with a promise to find a memory and perhapssome of the innocence of childhood that he knew here. He’s here to find acertain Christmas book, a very special edition of a certain Christmas book andhe’s hoping that Nora can help him find it.
The funny thing about Linden Corners is that Christmas is a special time herewhere the residents tilt at windmills, believe in fate and most of all believeand take care of each other. Nora and Thomas have secrets, losses and hopes andin Linden Corners NY might just be where they find what they’re searching for.
If I had to choose one word to describe Joseph’s Pittman’stown and residents it would be Americana. Thank God I don’t have to choosebecause then I couldn’t tell you that no one depicts small town America quitelike him. Where the characters quirky and conventional alike shine like noothers. Where hope reins supreme as he once again gives readers a Christmastale full of love, loss, and hope. We not only get to reunite with thecharacters he’s introduced us to but we meet some new and wonderful folkswho’ve come to different yet equally important forks in their road through lifewho’re changed dramatically by this community of caring and committedresidents. If you’re looking for a feel good novel, your look is over. Mr.Pittman, I can’t wait until your next tale from bucolic Linden Corners.Buy the book here, visit the author's website here.

Q and A with Sarah Morgan and review of Once Upon A Christmas

To contact us Click HERE

Q&A with Sarah Morgan
Once Upon A Christmas
Available in the US as
(The Doctor’s Christmas Bride & The Nurse’s Wedding Rescue)
As I’ve said before I review two series by Harlequin for RTreviews magazine and like all readers who have their favorite author, I’m nodifferent. So I’m pleased to present Sarah Morgan to you, my favorite HarlequinPresents author and one of my all time favorite authors to boot. Sarah lives inthe UK. So without delay let’s get to know her a little more.



Debbie- Sarah,thank you for participating in my all month holiday features starring theauthors of Harlequin.
Sarah - Thank you for having me! It’sgreat to be here.
So first for some cool facts. You live near London. Have youever seen the Queen?
Actually I have!  This year in the UK we’ve celebrated both the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics so there was plenty of royal activity!
Do your books appear on both the shores of the US and theUK? Anywhere else?
One of the very cool things about being published by Harlequin is their global audience – their books are translated into 34 languages and sold in 114 countries so I have some really interesting editions dropping through my door. My favorites are the Japanese Manga editions – seeing my story drawn by a skilled graphic artist gives me such a thrill.
Your bio says you knew you wanted to be a writer when youwere 8. Can you tell us why and how long it took to realize that dream?
I loved writing, but I didn’t consider it as a career. Even when I eventually submitted and was published, I didn’t think it would be something I would do full time. For quite a few years writing was something I did in my spare time alongside another job, as it is for so many people. I do feel very, very lucky to be able to do this full time! I make a living by telling stories and that is truly Dream Job. Looking back, I don’t regret working as a nurse first. I saw a lot and learned a lot about human emotion and I’ve used so much of that experience in my books.
Are you a city girl or a country girl?I’m a country girl with city edges :) Truthfully, I need both. I love mountains and being outdoors but I also need people and an excuse to pull off hiking boots and wear pretty shoes.
Why write romances?
Quite simply because writing romancemakes me happy, and so does reading romance. I enjoy exploring the path thecharacters take to their happy ending. I love the optimism and hope that is reflected in the romance genre.  Writing about love and romance isuplifting and it’s a great way to spend a working day!
Where do your ideas come from?
Ideas come from everywhere - from something I’ve read, or something I’ve heard (if I meet a couple I will ALWAYS ask how they met). Sometimes ideas appear from nowhere and that is the magic of writing. It is so exciting when that happens and all you want to do is rush and write the book immediately! Creating characters is fun and gives endless scope for variety. People ask me whether I’m running out of plots but there are as many plots as there are people, so the answer is no.
You write quite a number of Middle-East romances staringsheikhs and princes etc.. Why do you think they’re still as popular as ever?
There are times when a reader wants to be transported away from the reality of their lives and a Sheikh romance does that. I think the appeal of these stories is a mixture of the exotic settings and the strong, alpha male characters that tend to populate these books. It’s a pure escapist read.
You write about some beautiful opulent places. Where wouldyour dream vacation be?
There are so many places I would love tovisit. Top of my list is Brazil. I wrote a Presents a few years ago set in theBrazilian rainforest and since then I’ve been desperate to go and explore inperson. But I love travelling and vacations and wherever I go I’ll take bookswith me and be happy!
Sarah, thank you so much for chatting with us. I hope you and your family have the Merriest of Christmases and if you ever get to this side of the pond and have any events at a Barnes & Noble store please let us know. And if you’re ever in my neck of the woods I hope you’ll let this rabid fan know so I can meet you in person.
I would be so thrilled to meet inperson! Thank you so much for the warm welcome and a Happy Christmas to all. xxx
My review of Once Upon A Christmas
Available in the US as
(The Doctor’s Christmas Bride & The Nurse’s Wedding Rescue)
Once Upon A Christmas
Sarah Morgan
Mills & Boon
ISBN13: 9780263902327
379 pagesSarah Morgan must live a charmed life, must have her ownprince charming at home, because one thing she does extremely well, better thanmost is write romance. I’ve read many romances by her and she’s neverdisappointed me, whether the characters are larger than life or just full oflife they’re always rich, emotional and sexy. This one is no different. Sarahgives us two romances for our money in this delightful romance in a smallEnglish mountain town, far away from the bustle of big city life, but with it’sown versions of drama and excitement where the doctors are heroes in more thanone way. In part one she gives us the romance of long time friends doctors JackRothwell and Bryony Hunter and in part two we get to see Bryony’s brotherDoctor Oliver Hunter and distraught visiting nurse Helen who’s been dumped atthe altar.
Sarah, I hope you have a very Happy Christmas and keep writing.
Part One:It’s Christmas time and Lizzie Hunter just put in onespecial request for her gift. She wants a daddy for Christmas. Bryony’s aghastat her daughter’s request from Santa and she’s also decided she should dosomething about it, get on with her life, find a daddy for Lizzie. She knows thatthe man she’s loved all of her life, Jack Rothwell, will never settle down,he’s strictly the no marrying type. But as she tries to get into the datinggame she’s constantly running into the immoveable wall that is Jack.
Part Two:Doctor Oliver Hunter’s been given a mission by his babysister Bryony. Her friend Helen’s got a problem, one she won’t discuss withOliver. She’s letting Helen stay in her cottage for a month while she’s away onher honeymoon and has asked Oliver to look in on her. The minute Oliver layseyes on Helen, he’s a goner. He knows it’s cliché, but it’s definitely love atfirst sight for him. But Helen’s been through a terrible love trauma, so heneeds to tread gently.Visit Sarah's website here

Merry Christmas to all and To All A Goodnight

To contact us Click HERE


'Twas the Night Before Christmas
or Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas
by
Major Henry Livingston Jr. (1748-1828)
(previously believed to be by Clement Clarke Moore)
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;                          
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below, When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer, With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN! On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONDER and BLITZEN! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!" As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky, So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.   And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As I drew in my hand, and was turning around, Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound. He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot; A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack. His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow; The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath; He had a broad face and a little round belly, That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself; A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread; He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk, And laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose; He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, "HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!"

Aloha Friday #45 - Blogs

To contact us Click HERE



Welcome to this week’s edition of Aloha Friday. Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog . Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the Mr. Linky there if you are participating.

What is your favorite thing to read on other people's blogs?

I love giveaways, recipes, and pictures :)

I want to start blogging again and want to make sure everyone is interested in what I am posting!!

Jane Austen and the afterlife

To contact us Click HERE

TITLE: What Matters in Jane Austen? Twenty Crucial Puzzles Solved
AUTHOR: John Mullan

Mullan looks explores 20 questions suggested by Austen's works. These questions range from what do characters call each other, to how much age matters, from how much money was enough for what and how much people would know about what others were worth, to which characters don't actually speak in the books. You learn quite a lot about Austen's times, but most of all, you learn loads about how she uses these things in her work, and begin to understand just what an accomplished, technically gifted writer she was. The last chapter, which analyses how experimental a writer Austen was (very, it seems, and in ways I had never considered), makes the point that she was a brilliant writer even more clearly and unquestionably.

I enjoyed this a great deal, but I would have enjoyed it even more if I had read Austen's books more recently. I have read all of them, except for the unfinished Sanditon (which Mullan uses more sparingly, anyway), but for some of them, it's been a while. It was therefore hard to remember some of the particular plot points or characters that Mullan refers to, and obviously, much of the books is based on referring back to Austen oeuvre. Still, highly recommended.

MY GRADE: A B.



TITLE: Six Feet Over: Adventures in the Afterlife
AUTHOR: Mary Roach

Six Feet Over (aka Spook in the US) is another of Mary Roach's off-the-wall looks at unlikely subjects. Here she turns her curious eye on what happens after death (and, in one of the most eye-popping chapters, during death). She looks at what the evidence is on all sorts of things: from reincarnation to ectoplasm, from capturing spririt voices on tape recorders to the physical weight of the soul. It's fascinating, full of material I didn't know and had never wondered about, as well as colourful characters.

My only issue is that I'm not a huge fan of Roach's writing style, though. I mean, I do like her goofiness and willingness to laugh at herself, and the fact that she tries very hard not to be judgmental, but there is way too much extraneous, filler detail here. I don't mean when she goes off track when she finds something interesting that's only tangentially related to her topic. I don't mind that at all -in fact, I love it. It's things like what the hotel she stayed in when she went to India was like, or a whole paragraph describing the librarian who gave her an archbishop's number. I didn't go "Oh, interesting" at that stuff, because it wasn't. I went "why on earth is she telling me this?". So I guess my issue is that she sometimes shows lack of judgment on what is interesting and what really isn't.

Eh well. Not the greatest, but I still enjoyed it.

MY GRADE: A B-.

Easy, by Tammara Webber

To contact us Click HERE

TITLE: Easy
AUTHOR: Tammara Webber

COPYRIGHT: 2012
PAGES: 336
PUBLISHER: Berkley

SETTING: Contemporary US
TYPE: New Adult Romance
SERIES: None

Rescued by a stranger.
Haunted by a secret
Sometimes, love isn't easy...

He watched her, but never knew her. Until thanks to a chance encounter, he became her savior...

The attraction between them was undeniable. Yet the past he'd worked so hard to overcome, and the future she'd put so much faith in, threatened to tear them apart.

Only together could they fight the pain and guilt, face the truth - and find the unexpected power of  love.

A groundbreaking novel in the New Adult genre, Easy faces one girl's struggle to regain the trust she's lost, find the inner strength to fight back against an attacker, and accept the peace she finds in the arms of a secretive boy.

Jacqueline Wallace is having a hell of a month. Her boyfriend of three years, whom she followed to his chosen university, even though as a musician, it was really not the best choice for her, has suddenly broken up with her. And then, leaving a party, she's attacked by one of his frat brothers, who attempts to rape her. Fortunately, she's rescued by Lucas, a guy who turns out to be in her economics class.

This is a class, you'll probably not be surprised to hear, she picked only because her boyfriend was in it, and she's skipped it in the weeks since the breakup. When she realises she's missed a midterm exam, she begs the lecturer for mercy. He agrees to accept a research project in lieu of the exam, and puts her in contact with the class tutor.

And within a couple of days, Jacqueline has begun both an email flirtation with the tutor, and a real-life one with Lucas.

Reading back this bare summary of the book's setup, it makes it sound awful. And at first, I feared it would be. I felt a bit queasy when I started it, because in a couple of short scenes, we have: an attempted rape that is not reported, a mysterious bad boy who beats the crap out of the wannabe rapist, a heroine who forgot all about her dreams just to follow her boyfriend to a uni that wasn't right for her, and a seemingly airheaded, shallow roommate. I was definitely worried.

But then Webber proceeded to take each of these worries and smash them, one by one. This turned out to be a book with messages I could stand behind proudly, a book which revolves around its heroine's growth and empowerment, celebrates a relationship where she's valued and respected, and even has some stand-up-and-cheer scenes of women supporting each other and behaving like sisters. The mysterious bad boy is not a bad boy after all, and he's not a violent rage-monster, but a guy with plenty of self-control. The previously idiotically self-sacrificing heroine ends up going for what she wants careerwise, with the full support of her new boyfriend. Oh, and the airhead roommate? She doesn't change outwordly at all, it's just made clear that there's much, much more to her, and she's one of the strongest women in the story.

And guess what? It does all this while not feeling one bit like an "issues" book. The story had a bit of that feeling I tend to associate with those "cracktastic" books. The romance made me sigh and go all tingly. Honestly, it felt a bit like a guilty pleasure read, but with absolutely no guilt.

So, I really loved it, and I honestly think that if I'd read it when I was in my late teens, early 20s, it would have become my favourite book ever. Even now, though, I could identify with some of the characters' issues, much, much more than if they'd been just a few years younger and in secondary school. I think I'd be keen to read more romances in this New Adult genre. These are stories of a stage in people's lives you don't really see in regular romance novels, and where the HEA can definitely feel plausible.

MY GRADE: An A-

AUDIOBOOK NOTES: It was this version that I listened to. It was narrated by Tara Sands, who was the narrator who made me give up the audiobook of Katie McGarry's Pushing the Limits. She was definitely less annoying in this one.

No Strings Attached, by Bridget Gray

To contact us Click HERE

TITLE: No Strings Attached
AUTHOR: Bridget Gray

COPYRIGHT: 2012
PAGES: 175
PUBLISHER: Escape Publishing

SETTING: Contemporary Australia (Brisbane)
TYPE: Romance
SERIES: None

If you saved a cute guy’s life, would you want him to know?

Mei Jing can’t decide whether to tell Rod Keller she was the one who saved his life in the aftermath of the tsunami or not. He’s funny, compassionate and committed to finding his rescuer but he has no idea that the girl he’s falling in love with is that very woman. What if he likes the concept of a heroine more than he likes her for herself?  Born in Australia to traditional Chinese parents, Mei Jing isn’t used to a relationship that doesn’t have strings attached.

Another of my purchases from Escape Publishing, bought right after Grease Monkey Jive, when the December titles were on sale.

Mei Jing and Rod were both in Thailand during the 2004 tsunami, and she saved his life. In the years since, he's devoted much effort and money to finding the woman who rescued him, based only on his friend's half-remembered glimpse of her at the hospital, and a couple more small details.

And then one night they meet in Brisbane, where they both happen to live. When it becomes clear that Rod doesn't remember her at all (he was pretty much unconscious during the rescue), Mei Jing hesitates, and decides not to tell him just yet. They have clicked from the very beginning and, quite reasonably, she feels introducing the whole "you owe me your life" thing into the equation will colour their developing relationship.

I really liked the premise, and completely understood Mei Jing's thinking, and her reluctance to introduce an element of obligation and debt into the relationship. This fear is exacerbated by the fact that she was raised in a traditional Chinese family, where such concepts were made much more transparent and explicit in relationships than would normally be the case in Western culture.

The thing is, the way this is all developed felt a bit off, not quite right. Forced, even. I found it very difficult to believe that Rod wouldn't have figured it out on his own. I mean, when they first meet, Mei Jing makes it clear that they have met each other before. Rod trying to remember where is even a running joke between them. She tells him they have kissed (well, the CPR she administered involved mouth to mouth), and that she's seen him with his top off. He knows his rescuer was Asian and that she had trained to work with children (Mei Jing is a special education teacher). But nope, not a clue. And then when he finds out it's all misunderstanding after misunderstanding, which felt a bit frustrating.

Additionally, the romance wasn't particularly well-developed. It felt very shallowly done. I felt like I knew and understood Mei Jing, but not so much Rod. We spend very little time in his POV, and at the end of the book, I just didn't know much about him beyond the superficial.

Actually, we spend too little time with Mei Jing and Rod, period. I wish we'd spent more time understanding how they fit and why they should be together. It's a short book, under 200 pages, I'd say, and we get 3 different romances. In addition to the main one, there are Mei Jing's best friend, Tina, and Mick, her neighbour and friend from childhood. Mick's loved her forever (even though he's spent the years sleeping with blonde cheerleaders), and here they finally get together, but Tina doesn't know if she wants to take it further. Then there's Tina's sister, Ksenija, who's a moody artist, and Rod's friend Stewey, who braves her prickliness.

All 3 of the romances were ones I was interested in, and would have read an entire book about each. Unfortunately, trying to cram them all in such a short book left them all feeling slightly underbaked and unsatisfying.

I did have a good time reading this, though. It felt breezy and fun and fresh, with people I haven't really read about much in romance. It's just that it could have been much better.

MY GRADE: A C+.

Treachery in Death, by JD Robb

To contact us Click HERE

TITLE: Treachery in Death
AUTHOR: JD Robb

COPYRIGHT: 2011
PAGES: 384
PUBLISHER: Putnam

SETTING: 2060s New York
TYPE: Police procedural / romance
SERIES: 33rd full-length novel in the series

Detective Eve Dallas and her partner, Peabody, are following up on a senseless crime-an elderly grocery owner killed by three stoned punks for nothing more than kicks and snacks. This is Peabody's first case as primary detective-good thing she learned from the master. 

But Peabody soon stumbles upon a trickier situation. After a hard workout, she's all alone in the locker room when the gym door clatters open; and-while hiding inside a shower stall trying not to make a sound-she overhears two fellow officers, Garnet and Oberman, arguing. It doesn't take long to realize they're both crooked-guilty not just of corruption but of murder. Now Peabody, Eve, and Eve's husband, Roarke, are trying to get the hard evidence they need to bring the dirty cops down-knowing all the while that the two are willing to kill to keep their secret.

In the latest from the #1 New York Times bestselling phenomenon, Eve Dallas tracks down those who break the law-including the ones sworn to uphold it.

Looks like this one just fell through the cracks -I've read and reviewed the following 3 already. I really do need to organise myself better. I keep finding half-finished reviews that I never completed and posted. And of books I loved, too!

Anyway, this one has our detectives investigating some dirty cops in their department. It all starts when Peabody accidentally overhears two other detectives having a confrontation in the Department's gym, which they think is empty. Their conversation makes it very clear that not only are they corrupt, they have graduated to much, much worse.

Peabody immediately tells Dallas, and it's clear to both that these people must be brought down. Without knowing how far this corrupt network goes, however, they'll need to do it very quietly. It will also need to be done absolutely and completely by the book, to make sure they got everyone, and none of them can get out of it.

I really enjoyed the case. It felt different from others in the In Death series, completely reliant on basic, painstaking police work. Well, basic it might have been, but it was very enjoyable to see them build their case piece by piece, Eve's team showing with every step how different they are from the people they're investigating.

There aren't that many developments on the personal personal side here (as in, Eve and Roarke's relationship), but there is loads of personal development related to the job. Eve always seems to think of herself as just another cop, part of her team, but kind of avoids the thought that she's actually the boss. Well, now she's investigating another female cop, of a similar grade as hers, and she can't help but contrast their styles of management. That element of the book was just fascinating, and I enjoyed it. There's also Peabody, gaining more and more in confidence.

So, a solid entry, and with that magic special extra that moves a book into an A grade.

MY GRADE: An A-

A Tale of Two Erotic Romances

To contact us Click HERE
I read these two books in one evening (or rather, for one of them, attempted to read). I haven't been reading much erotic romance lately, as most of what I see people talking about in the bloggosphere has zero appeal to me, but I fancied trying one. They were opposites, and reading them so close together made me think of this post of Liz's at Anna Cowan's blog.


TITLE: Leave Me Breathless
AUTHOR: Cherrie Lynn

I started with this opposites attract-type story, the third one in a series I haven't read. Can't remember why I picked it up, I expect I must have read a review somewhere that intrigued me. Macy is an all-country riding instructor, Seth is an all-heavy metal tattoo artist. They met when their respective friends got together in a previous book (sounds like Macy disapproved of her friend's new man and provided an obstacle for their relationship). At some point they hooked up in Seth's car and got really hot and heavy, after which Macy started ignoring Seth's calls.

As this book starts, Seth returns to town after being away for a few months, and he and Macy immediately hook up again. Sex scenes ensue. Many, many sex scenes, unfortunately completely boring and  non-erotic to me. I didn't particularly care for these characters, I didn't care for the dynamics between them (I'm SO over reading about guys pushing women's sexual boundaries), and the sex wasn't developing their relationship. I dropped out at the point where Seth started convincing Macy to try anal. Anal's a huge turn-off for me (one more reason why I'm not reading much ER, where it seems to be de rigueur these days), and I'll tolerate reading about it only if I'm loving a book. I wasn't, so I bailed. It would only have made me cross to continue.

Leave Me Breathless didn't work because I didn't think it was particularly well done, but also, the fantasy in it wasn't one that appealed to me. If it had, it might have been a bit of a guilty pleasure (a purely "id" experience, in the way Liz describes it), but as it was, it was a complete fail.

MY GRADE: DNF


TITLE: Restraint
AUTHOR: Charlotte Stein

So, after deleting Leave Me Breathless from my kindle, I remembered I had a very short Charlotte Stein book there, one that Brie from Romance Around the Corner had put in her Best of 2012 list. Since I loved pretty much all the other books she had on her list, I thought this would be a good one to pick up next.

It's a really short story (just over 50 pages, I would say), but to me, it was the perfect length. Mallory has always thought Artie hates her. He's friends with some of her friends, though, so they're forced to spend time together. Mallory has been trying to tone down her outrageousness in front of him, but as the story starts, she's had enough, and decides to go all out, and if he doesn't like it, he can go to hell. She soon discovers Artie's feelings for her are not quite what she thought.

Oh, I just loved this. Artie is a character I've truly never read before, especially not in erotic romance. He's quite simply really, really repressed and struggling with his feelings for Mallory, which are very powerful. When Mallory understands this, he doesn't stand a chance. It's one of the hottest things I've ever read, and more so because it's combined with really strong emotions and genuine romance, with a happy ending that fits perfectly.

Now this one, this one works formally, because the writing is amazing. It's deceptively simple, almost stream-of-consciousness, but it's extremely effective. Every single word counts and works to develop the characters and their relationship. But this is also a book that works at a purely emotional level, and very much so. To me, this was the perfect reading experience, a book that I could love at an ego level.

MY GRADE: An A-.

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

To contact us Click HERE
Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry her ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her “happily ever after” begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring in a hotel fire drill but in the panic that follows, her phone is stolen. As she paces shakily around the lobby, she spots an abandoned phone in a trash can. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect!

Well, perfect except that the phone’s owner, businessman Sam Roxton, doesn’t agree. He wants his phone back and doesn’t appreciate Poppy reading his messages and wading into his personal life.

What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other’s lives through emails and text messages. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, mysterious phone calls, and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents . . . she soon realizes that she is in for the biggest surprise of her life.(Synopsis from B&N.com)

Hardcover, Random House, 448 pages

Poppy Wyatt’s day is really going badly.  She has lost the antique betrothal ring her fiancé Magnus gave her and her phone has been stolen.  She thinks her luck has changed when she finds a perfectly good phone stuck in the waste bin and so she confiscates it.  The phone rings, she answers it pretending to be an automated reply, listens to a cryptic message, and writes it down on an old Lion King program.The phone belongs to Sam Roxton ( or his PA) and he lets Poppy know that he wants the phone back but she refuses.  She agrees that she will forward all of his messages until she no longer needs the phone.  Thus begins a relationship that is quirky to say the least.  As Poppy gets more and more into Sam’s life via his phone, she starts meddling with good, and sometimes bad, results. In the meantime, Poppy is dealing with the lost ring, her not so happy future in-laws, and a bridal planner from h*ll.Sam helps with the ring debacle and little by little Poppy becomes part of his life. Sam has some heavy stuff going on at his workplace which Poppy may be able to help him with. There are some interesting twists towards the end of the book.This is a lovely story of two people literally falling into love.  There is sweetness to the relationship which makes the story easy to read. Both characters are likeable (maybe not Sam at first) and they find themselves leaning on each other for support with their problems. The secondary characters are fleshed out and add a lot to the book.  I especially liked the little footnotes on the bottom of the pages. This is my favorite Kinsella book since Can You Keep a Secret.

The Garden of Happy Endings by Barbara O'Neal

To contact us Click HERE
After tragedy shatters her small community in Seattle, the reverend Elsa Montgomery has a crisis of faith. Returning to her home town of Pueblo, Colorado, she takes refuge in a local soup kitchen. Preparing nourishing meals for folks in need, she keeps her hands busy while her heart searches for understanding.

Meanwhile, her sister, Tamsin, as pretty and colorful as Elsa is unadorned and steadfast, finds her perfect life shattered when she learns her financier husband is a criminal. Enduring shock and humiliation as her beautiful house and possessions are seized, the woman who had everything now has nothing but the clothes on her back.

But when the going gets tough, the tough get growing. A community garden in the poorest, roughest part of town becomes a lifeline. Creating a place of hope and sustenance opens Elsa and Tamsin to the renewing power of rich earth, sunshine, and the warm cleansing rain of tears. While Elsa finds her heart blooming in the care of a rugged landscaper, Tamsin discovers the joy of losing herself in the act of giving—and both women discover that with time and care, happy endings flourish.(Synopsis from B&N.com)

Random House, Trade Publication, 418 pages    5/5 bookmarks

Wow, what a thought provoking book this is. Elsa is a minister in a Seattle church who finds herself questioning her calling after the murder of one of her parishioners.  Elsa has had a long history of being disappointed by God, starting with her run in with a misogynist Catholic priest in her youth.After being told by her church council that she needs to take a sabbatical, she ends up working with her lifelong friend, Joaquin, now a priest in their home town. She has a history with Father Jack, which led to one of her breaks with God, but they have both worked through it... or so they think. Elsa finds herself working on a community garden and developing an attraction to Deacon, the landscaper who is helping the church set up the garden.I read this book the same week a young child was killed in a horrific accident in our state. I had a discussion with two co-workers about how hard I found it to believe that God would have a plan for us that could include such a terrible thing. Elsa has the same questions in this book.  She has kept her faith in God for most of her life even when it has been hard to do so-she has turned her back on Him but came back every time. I think that Ms. O’Neal does an excellent job in portraying the anguish that a person with a religious calling would have when they question whether their own faith is strong enough to keep going.  That said the book is hopeful and positive even as Elsa is struggling.There is a side plot involving Tamsin, Elsa’s sister, who loses everything overnight when her financier husband disappears and is subsequently discovered to have bilked people out of millions of dollars. Tamsin has a crisis of physical loss-she has no money, no home, no job and no hope of getting any of those things in the immediate future.  Her daughter is overseas and has no idea of what is happening so Tamsin has the additional burden of keeping her circumstance a secret from her own child. As always, Ms. O’Neal gives us a story with many layers that we can relate to even if our situation is not the same as the main character. Her characters survive life’s vagaries and find their own brand of happiness.  Isn’t that what we all strive for?

Ain't Misbehaving by Molly Cannon

To contact us Click HERE

Marla Jean Bandy might be down, but she's not out. Even though her no-good ex-husband left her for another woman - a Bookmobile-driving librarian twenty years her senior - Marla Jean won't settle for another lonely night. She's not ready for Mr. Right, but why not have a little fun with Mr. Right Now? The only wrench  in her plan is her childhood crush. Jake- and the memory of the one toe-curling kiss they shared on a hot summer night years ago. ( Synopsis from MollyCannon.com)
Paperback, Forever Press, 374 pgs.




Marla Jean is determined to move on with her life after her husband ditches her for the town librarian- a woman 20 years older. She goes out and decides she is going to have fun with local Lothario Donnie Joe, only to have her hot and heavy make out session interrupted by her childhood crush, Jake. Jake is also her brother Linc's best friend and has committed to keeping Marla Jean safe while Linc is away. Both Marla Jean and Jake fight their obvious attraction through most of the book with occasional sexy lapses.

Being a librarian of a certain age, I have to admit I was intrigued by the premise of the book but disturbed by the way it seemed that the whole town had just forgiven the two cheaters and left Marla Jean with virtually nothing- both financially and in terms of her self respect. The issue does get addressed later in the story in a way that is satisfactory for the reader. Jake is in a double bind, having feelings for Marla Jean and being the nephew of the librarian. It was interesting to read a book where you had some sympathy for the other woman because you saw her through her family's eyes.
Jake is a genuinely nice guy who takes his friendship with Marla Jean seriously and Marla Jean is a sweetie who has had a rough time and deserves someone sexy like Jake to make her see that there is still a life out there for her.

 I especially enjoyed some of Marla Jean’s creative cursing. How often do you hear a character say “ poop faced son of a dodo bird”.  This was a fun read with a nice romance and a happy ending all the way around. ( Just a note-Donnie Joe has his own book coming out April of 2013 and it looks pretty good from the excerpt.)






Summer Nights ( Fool's Gold # 11) by Susan Mallery

To contact us Click HERE
Horse whisperer Shane Stryker is done with passion. This time around, he’s determined to meet someone who will be content with the quiet life of a rancher’s wife. And the fiery, pint-size redhead who dazzles him at the local bar definitely does not fit the bill.Small-town librarian Annabelle Weiss has always seen herself as more of a sweetheart than a siren, so she can’t understand why Shane keeps pushing her away. Shane has formed the totally wrong impression of her but only he can help her with a special event for the next Fool’s Gold festival. And maybe while he’s at it, she can convince him to teach her a few things about kissing on hot summer nights, too—some lessons, a girl shouldn’t learn from reading a book!Synopsis from susanmallery.com


Paperback, Harlequin, 381 pgs.
This is the second book of the latest Fool’s Gold trilogy about the Stryker brothers. Shane Stryker has come to Fool’s Gold to start a horse ranch adjacent to the property his mother and brother Rafe own. Shane is divorced, having been in a hellacious marriage, and wants his next serious romance to be with a nice, faithful woman. Annabelle Weiss is the Fool’s Gold Librarian and is also divorced from a man who belittled and controlled her.  She is looking for someone to love her unconditionally.  Unfortunately for her, the first time Shane meets her is when she impulsively jumps upon the bar in Jo’s place to demonstrate the dance of the happy virgin from the Maa-zib. Shane immediately paints with the same brush as his ex-wife.  When Annabelle turns up at his ranch for riding lessons, Shane manages to insult her in short order. He apologizes and the riding lessons continue and they get to know each other as time goes along.  Annabelle does find immediate unconditional love from someone on the ranch- a beautiful horse named Khatar!Both of the people in this romance have baggage from previous relationships that shapes how this one develops. Shane is definitely interested but he keeps acting like a jerk and messing things up. Annabelle has feelings for Shane but she keeps getting rebuffed and forgives him but then it happens again. Both people get lots of advice from well- meaning friends but the changes have to come from inside for the relationship to really work out.  Fool’s Gold works its magic again with Shane and Annabelle.  Favorite characters from previous books make frequent appearances and we get to see how their lives are progressing which is always nice. We also get a hint of who the next lucky couple will be. This is a great summer romance that has a little drama, a little humor and keeps the readers interest all the way through.

Rivals for the Crown by Kathleen Givens

To contact us Click HERE
Rivals for the Crown by Kathleen Givens
Historical Fiction

In 1290, the young Queen of Scotland dies en route to the crown, which causes the entire Scottish nation to take sides of who should next be on the throne. Highlander cousins Rory and Kieran are sent to Berwick by their parents to keep them out of trouble and get some intel. They meet Rachel, a Jew that was kicked out of London with her family who then moved to Scotland and opened up an inn. She had to abandon her best friend Isabel who was about to become a lady in waiting for the Queen. Rachel and Kieran lust after each other and she convinces him to send a message through to Isabel. When Rory and Kieran visit London after the Queen dies, they meet Isabel who Rory can't stop thinking about.

With King Edward I trying to take back Scotland, there is a lot of turmoil. As the cousins try to help keep their country independent, they are also trying to woo their ladies.

The Scottish element of this novel brought the life to the book. The two cousins had a lot of character and helped progress the novel along. This was just as much historical romance as it was historical fiction. Parts of the romance were definitely corny but not bad enough to make me want to stop reading the book.

There were some interesting history lessons in this novel although I felt like the end was quite rushed.

First Line: "Rachel! Rachel, wake up!"

Rating:
(4/5)

Guest Blog post & visit by Laura Griffin NY Times Bestselling author

To contact us Click HERE
 Today I'm honored to have bestselling author Laura Griffin visiting my forum at B&N.com so please click the link and stop by.


Laura GriffinOct. 30, 2012Thank you, Deb, for inviting me to be here with your group.I’m not sure if I ever told you that my nickname as a kid was “Book Nook”because I liked to finish my schoolwork early and go find a quiet corner withmy book... So I love being among people who love to read as much as I do.I’m thrilled to be here to talk about my latest suspensenovel SCORCHED. This is the sixth book in my Tracers series, which has taken ona life of its own… and before anyone runs away, let me answer two questions Iget all the time: No, you do not have toread the Tracers books in order. Yes, each book can be read as a stand-alone.I’ve often discovered a new author by picking up a book inthe middle of a series, so I know how that goes. I don’t want new readers tofeel lost, so each book has a stand-alone suspense plot and each book featuresa different lead couple. The Tracers books are all mysteries, with a love storywoven in. I like for the characters to work hard and struggle and eventuallyget their hard-won Happily Ever After.SCORCHED features two of my very favorite characters,forensic anthropologist Kelsey Quinn and Navy SEAL Gage Brewer. These two werequite an adventure to write (I got to interview SEALs! I got to visit a bodyfarm!) and I hope you’ll enjoy their story.Maybe it is because of my reporter roots, but I always haveto meet and interview people in my character’s professions. I love to gathercolorful details that I can use to bring the characters to life. So, to learnabout SEALs, I read up on them and then interviewed a few (one via BlackBerrywhile he was stationed in Afghanistan). To learn about forensicanthropologists, I visited a body farm and got to hear all about the study ofbones and how experts can use clues to provide leads for homicideinvestigators.After getting a feel for my main characters, I sat down towrite.The story begins with Gage on a daring SEAL rescue missionand Kelsey stationed halfway around the world doing a humanitarian dig in thePhilippines. She is excavating bones of people killed in a massacre and comesacross something that doesn’t fit. As Kelsey investigates the mystery back homein the United States, she becomes mixed up in a murder. Kelsey goes on the run,and that’s when she crosses paths with Gage, the man who once broke her heartand now must help save her life.Like the other Tracers books, SCORCHED features someforensic twists and turns. It was fun to weave several SEAL action scenes intothe novel, too. Navy SEALs make terrific heroes because there is nothing theseguys cannot do. They are dedicated. They are determined.And they are literally unstoppable when it comes to fighting for what mattersto them. In this case, Gage is fighting not only for his country, but for thewoman he loves.I’ve got an excerpt posted on my web site at http://www.lauragriffin.com/books/scorched.php#excerpt.I look forward to talking to you all hear at B&N. If you have questionsabout the books, the series, or anything at all, please ask away!
My Review of ScorchedScorched
Laura Griffin
Pocket Books
ISBN13:9781451617399Forensic Anthropologist Kelsey Quinn while on a dig in thePhilippines finds skeletal remains of a homicide that gives her pause. Lookingfor answers she sends samples to her ex-fiancée Blake, an FBI agent. Butanswers is the last thing she receives when her ex is murdered, she’s the nextsupposed victim and has to run for her life, with no where turn and no one totrust because the killer wears a badge.
Navy SEAL Gage Brewer is blindsided by the two FBI agents waiting for him onhis return from an op. It seems he’s high on the suspect list of Kelsey’s ex’smurder because of their past relationship. But Kelsey’s just as high on theirlist it seems and what really scares Gage is that no one’s seen Kelsey sincebefore the murder, now his only concern is to find her alive because she stillmeans the world to him.
Together Kelsey and Gage will be a united front against a formidable foe whoseplot is beyond belief terrifying. They’ll also discover that their feelings foreach other did not die with the end of their relationship. But love comes at acost and if they survive the threat against them are they willing to pay theprice.Laura Griffin has amazed me before but this time she wentabove and beyond. I could not put this down, it kept me up late and glued tothe pages as my heart sped and my pulse pounded with each new and frighteningdevelopment, each new threat and each time the passion was just as affecting asthe violence. Her characters Gage and Kelsey were so enigmatic, so engaging, andso real. Their stories so empathic that there was never a good guy or bad guyonly lost chances that I could only hope see turned to second chances. Herstoryline is as A-typed as her characters, it’s fast paced and angst filled andkept my stomach in knots and my nails bitten. The best thing about Laura’sTracer series is both the fact that they read well as a stand-alone and that weget a glimpse of our old friends and their new lives as we go.
Thank you for an awe-inspiring romance and a fearful thriller in one read,it’ll take a while for my distress to lessen, but by then I’ll be more thanready for your next roller-coaster ride.
If you like the novels of Nelson DeMille, Lisa Gardner and John Sandford. Ithink you’ll really love Laura Griffin.


Here are the other novels in the Tracer Series

Review of Ember's Kiss by Deborah Cooke

To contact us Click HERE
Ember’s Kiss
Deborah Cooke
NAL
ISBN13:9780451238252
Brandon Merrick is a dragon shape shifter, a Pyr only hethinks of himself as a monster, he doesn’t know about his heritage because ofan absent father. He’s focusing on surfing the Hawaiian waves while gettinghelp from his old Chinese friend to save him from his dragon-self. But nowthere’s another fly in the ointment during an eclipse Brandon’s firestormerupts, (when the Pyr find their one true mate), and what a woman she is butit’s also causing his dragon to take control.
Marine Biologist, Liz Bennett is also in denial, she’s running from a past fullof magic and legends too hurtful to remember, so she’s come to the islands tostart over. But before she can even unpack her suitcase she’s literally hit bythe sensual sparks coming from a gorgeous surfer and she never knew what hither. Worse it unleashes her thought dead powers.
Liz and Brandon are alight in the newfound light of the firestorm and beforethe sparks die down nature is erupting in catastrophe, but there’s nothing naturalabout it. A terrible enemy has them in their sights and will do anything to endthem. The other Pyr have sensed the firestorm and are on their way to help, ifthey can reach them in time. Will the firestorm bring them together forever orwill it burn them to ashes.
Deborah Cooke’s excellence in world building just keeps getting better andbetter and her characters just keep getting more interesting. This time shebrings us a man who’s ignorance of his heritage gets him in a world of troubleand a woman who’s knowledge of hers scares the daylights out of her and we getto watch as the magic of Deborah’s words give them life and meaning and makethem fall in love as well. Her plot of fantasy and contemporary mixes like theperfect ingredients of a time loved recipe, her characters keep the pagesturning and the nails bitten to the quick. And the romance, oh the romance ispoetic how she makes these not so ordinary folks bow to the altar ofextraordinary love. As with every series they’re best read in order but shealso makes each one stand well on it’s own.
Deborah yours is always one of my must reads and always keepers on my shelves.
Buy the book here, visit the author's website here.

photo credit: Michelle Rowen

Q&A with Santa, and review of Being Santa Claus by Sal Lizard

To contact us Click HERE
 Q&A w/Sal Lizardaka Santa Claus
Being Santa Claus
Debbie - Sal, I mean Santa, I know you’re terribly busy this time ofyear so thank you so much for taking time to visit us at The General Fictionforum.
Sal -My pleasure, Debbie.
Tell us a little about the book Being Santa Claus.
People frequently ask me what it's like to be Santa. I thinkthat this book gives a glimpse of some of the things and people who happened tome as I matured into a professional Santa. It explains, to many, why I do whatI do. Is there a reason that youwrote the book now?
I'd like to say something like, "Because this is the time when such a book is needed" but it was really because I ran into Jonathan Lane and he talked me into "a collaboration" to tell my stories to a wider audience.
Can you give us onehumorous example out of the book?In one of the chapters, I tell of a little girl who asked me my name while standing in a checkout line. I asked who she thought I was and she said, "I think you're Santa Claus." I told her that she should be really good and she replied, "I am! I'm not even peeing in my underpants!"
Do you only portray the Americanized version of Santa?
Well, I do have a kilt and used to appear to in it forScottish families that requested it.
What’s your favorite Christmas song?
"Santa Claus is Coming to Town," of course!
Will there be anotherbook?
Gosh, I hope so! There are still stories to tell and I would love the opportunity to tell them. I guess it all depends on how this book sells.
Do you have any Barnes & Noble events or signings?
As a matter of fact, I do! My appearance list can be found onmy website at http://www.facebook.com/l/ZAQGOYJSRAQEZgtb3wLg0g4abTl4pLOpZL8HwIygZcokutQ/BeingSantaClaus.com. I have lots of people asking me to come to their areas for signings but all I can do is ask that they ask their locl bookstore to request me. Hopefully, there will be more as the season progresses.
Thank you so much for answering these few questions Sal. As you know I loved the book. I think it should be required reading for treating Grinch like symptoms around the holidays. It’s inspiring, touching and it was very heartfelt.
Thank you so much for your kind words and wonderful review! Ihave been hearing from many how my book is helping them through somedifficulty. One reader told me that she was going to give her sister (who isgoing through a tough divorce) a copy to cheer her up!
Good luck with the book.
Thank you so much for helping me share info about the book,and helping with its success!

Merry Christmas.
Same to you! And to all of your readers, too!
Santa SalBuy the book here, visit Santa Sals website here